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Reunited goth-rock icons Bauhaus headline the Masonic

SAN FRANCISCO -- Pioneering gothic British post-punk band Bauhaus brings its current reunion tour to the Masonic in San Francisco for two nights starting Saturday.

Bauhaus
Bauhaus Gary Bandfield

Though they only released four studio albums between founding the band in 1978 with singer Peter Murphy, guitarist Daniel Ash, drummer Kevin Haskins and bassist David J (Haskins' older brother) and its abrupt dissolution in 1983, the quartet achieved a level of impact unmatched by many groups that emerged in the wake of punk rock's initial explosion in England. Imitated by many and matched by none, Bauhaus crafted a dark vision that held sway over so many disciples that the band entered a rarified echelon occupied by the likes of the Velvet Underground and Black Sabbath in terms of their reach.

Mixing elements of glam rock, psychedelia, punk and dub, Bauhaus had a seismic impact from their first song, the spare and haunting epic "Bela Legosi's Dead" that was recorded in a single six-hour session. The tune's jagged, minimalist guitar, heavy echo effects and Murphy's haunted, manic vocals codified the sound of gothic-rock in its nine-and-a-half minutes, establishing a mood that would be emulated by countless bands in the '80s and beyond.  

Bela Lugosi's Dead (Official Version) by Bauhaus - Topic on YouTube

The band would continue to refine its dark vision on the quartet's first full-length album In a Flat Field, which Bauhaus produced themselves, before expanding its sonic palette with additional keyboards and acoustic guitars on the follow-up effort Mask. It was the band's 1982 album The Sky's Gone Out that would bring Bauhaus more mainstream success, hitting #4 on the UK charts. The group also scored a hit single with their cover of "Ziggy Stardust," an important tune by avowed band influence David Bowie. Bauhaus would also interpret songs by such forebears as Iggy Pop, Marc Bolan of T-Rex fame and Brian Eno during their brief career. Murphy fell ill during the recording sessions for what would become the band's then final studio album Burning from the Inside, creating a rift between the singer and the other members that culminated in their splitting up just a week before the album was released.

Bauhaus - She's In Parties by The Arkive on YouTube

While the other members of Bauhaus would start the successful bands Tones on Tail and Love and Rockets, Murphy went on to launch a solo career in 1986 with his debut album Should the World Fail to Fall Apart. That album received wide critical acclaim, with subsequent efforts like Love Hysteria and his biggest commercial hit Deep expanding his audience with some of his first chart hits.  

Ash and Haskins also hit great heights of commercial and critical success with David J in their trio Love and Rockets. Reviving the spirit of late '60s psychedelia with their nuanced songwriting and gifts for hooky, hypnotic tunes, the band made alternative rock before the genre even existed. They managed one huge MTV hit in 1989 with "So Alive," but it was the body of work the band created over 15 years starting in 1985 that earned them a rabidly loyal cult of fans.

Bauhaus eventually reunited for two rapturously received tours in 1998 and 2005 prior to recording one final album -- the celebrated swan song Go Away White in 2008 that led to their last acrimonious split. Love and Rockets would also enjoy a high-profile reunion in the late 2000s, playing lucrative festival gigs at Coachella and Lollapalooza before Ash announced in no uncertain terms in 2009 that he wasn't interested in reviving the band again. Ash put out a handful of solo recordings since then (including the career  overview Stripped in 2014 that found him offering up new versions of classic songs) but it wasn't until he reached out to Kevin Haskins with the idea of returning to the stage and revisiting the songs of Tones on Tail in the group Poptone that would feature Haskins's daughter Diva Dompe playing bass.

Murphy remained prolific as a solo artist, whether embarking on extensive tours or producing solo recordings. in 2017, the singer released a new live album entitled Bare-Boned and Sacred that was captured at a show during his Stripped Tour that featured Murphy performing with pared down backing of just a guitarist and bassist/violinist.

Murphy headlined a concert for that tour at the Chapel and was taken by the venue, deciding hold a 15-night residency in San Francisco that was initially intended to feature the singer performing one of the albums from his discography in its entirety each night along with other songs from throughout his career. Though the residency was delayed multiple times due to visa and health issues that led to numerous postponements and rescheduling that exhausted his fans, staff at the Chapel and the singer himself, Murphy eventually fulfilled the dates to positive reviews. Some of the performances focusing on Bauhaus material included David J on bass. He would play a similar run of late summer shows in New York that also saw dates postponed after the singer suffered a heart attack, but the rift between Murphy and Ash had most fans thinking another full band reunion was unlikely. 

However, not long after the singer was hospitalized for the cardiac episode, the band made the stunning announcement that it would reunite for a single show in Los Angeles in October of 2019, with more shows getting announced after the first one quickly sold out. The pandemic would derail immediate plans for more touring in 2020, but Bauhaus has been making up for lost time since restrictions were lifted, playing a number of shows in the U.S. and Mexico as well as performing high-profile sets at the Cruel World festival held at the Rose Bowl this past weekend.

Drink The New Wine by Bauhaus Official on YouTube

Last month, Bauhaus also issued it's first new song in decades, the experimental, cut-up pastiche tune "Drink the New Wine" that was constructed by the four members during the lockdown with each member sharing their contributions without the other musicians hearing any parts other than their own. The band plays its first headlining San Francisco shows since 2005 when it comes to the Masonic this weekend. Dark cabaret artist Vinsantos opens the show.

Bauhaus
May 21-22, 8 p.m. $25-$79.50
The Masonic

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